Ansel Adams

mural-sized, mounted to Precision illustration board, signed in pencil on the mount, a Carmel studio stamp, with title and date in ink, on the reverse, 1958, probably printed in the 1960s

Gift of the photographer to friend and San Francisco neighbor Otto Meyer, president of Paul Masson Vineyards

Private collection, by descent

Butterfield & Butterfield, San Francisco, 29 April 1987, Sale 3785M, Lot 3622

Michael Shapiro Gallery, San Francisco

Private East Coast Collection

Gainesville, The Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, University of Florida, Ansel Adams: Visualizing the American Landscape, May – August 2004

Nancy Newhall, Ansel Adams: The Eloquent Light (Sierra Club, 1963), p. 19

Andrea G. Stillman, Ansel Adams: 400 Photographs (Boston, 2007), p. 373

Ansel Adams, Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs, (Boston, 1983), p. 63

This luminous early mural exhibits an impressive range of tones, from the white of the sun's reflection on the tree trunks, to the deep black in the forest background. It is on paper with a surface sheen, and is in generally very good to excellent condition. The upper left corner of the print is lifting from the mount, and there is a tiny, barely noticeable emulsion loss (or possibly minor indentation) just below the tip at the upper left corner. When examined in raking light, a small raised area, possibly air or a particle trapped between the mount and photograph during dry mounting, is visible in the upper right quadrant. The mount is sunned, and there are two small rust-colored deposits near the bottom edge. While this print has a Carmel studio stamp that was used by Adams during the 1970s (it is not found among the stamps in Karen Haas's and Rebecca Senf's first edition of 'Ansel Adams in the Lane Collection'), it has the characteristics of a print made in the 1960s, with its Precision illustration board mount; its range of light, gray, and dark tones; and the paper's appearance.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.